Railway switch locking device



Jan. 20, 1948. R. w. RUTLEDGE ET AL 2,434,722

RAILWAY SWITCH LOCKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1945 luven tor @zzerius MP. 2/94 6 Fred/ #771,? 50 Z/Zam,

Attorhey Patented Jan. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Rubertus W. Rutledge, Morgantcn, and Fred P. Higginbotham, Black Mountain, N. C.

Application January 15, 1945, Serial No. 572,936

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel safety device in the form of a ready-to-use switch attachment so made as to accommodate the existing or stock part, whereby to permit it to be installed for use in association with conventional switch and track equipment, thi without requiring any a1- terations in the existing parts.

The primary purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and expedient attachment which is characterized by a safety clamp which is so constructed and arranged as to prevent the switch points from separating and derailing the train under certain circumstances and conditions.

More specifically, we have evolved and brou ht into being a practicable and readily applicable safety device which is supplemental to the usual switch stand and lever, the same serving to grip the adjacent switch point and to hold it against the main rail when the switch is closed, whereby to achieve the feature of safety above-mentioned Another object of the invention is the provision of a safety attachment for cross-ties, the same being constructed and arranged to coact with the free end of the lever, that is, the lever which is employed on the switch and signalling stand, thus providing an arrangement which will secure a switch point in its closed position even thou h the switch stand or its appurtenances accidentally break, as is often the situation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, ingenious and practicable attachment which not only makes the railroad safer for fast trains, but which is advantageous in that it is susceptible of manufacture and installation with a minimum of expense attending such requirements.

Other features and advanta es to become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illus rative drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 i a perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of a railroad track construction including the conventional lever equipped semaphore stand and detailing the improved attachment cooperable with the lever of the stand and switch point.

Figure 2 is a section taken approximately on the plane of the line 2--2 of Figure 1, this looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the draw ng, the old parts are denoted by reference letters and the new parts by reference numerals it will be observed that the conventional track rails are indicated at A and the supporting cross-ties at B. The switch points are denoted by the letters C. The switch stand, which is conventional, is indicated generally by the character D and this includes the usual rotary signalling semaphore E and ballequipped operating lever F. As stated, these are old parts commonly in use on railroads.

The attachment comprises an arm 3 of appropriate material and length. This is provided at its outer end with a notch i which is so constructed and arranged as to accommodate the adjacent free end portion of the lever F. On the opposite end of the arm is provided a substantially U-shaped safety clamp or clip 5. This is so constructed (see Figure 2) as to permit its upstanding ends to embrace the base flange of the main rail and the half-flange of the switch points. The safety clip is urged to position by the tilting of the arm 3 and the weight of the weighted lever F on the outer end of said arm. it i disengaged and forced away from the rails by the coiled spring 6. To accomplish this the intermediate portion of the arm is pivotally mounted as at l in and between ears on a stirrup-like adapter fixture 9. That is to say, the intermediate portion l0 sits down on a plane between the cross-ties and carries the ears 8 which, in turn, serves to pivotally mount the arm. The laterally offset end portions ll reach up over and anchor upon the ties.

In operation it is obvious that when the switch lever is thrown in opposite directions not shown in the drawing, the safety clamp or clip 5 is thrown down clear of the rails by the release spring, thus allowing the rail to be shifted so that the train can get into the siding off the main line. When the train is at the siding and the switch lever on all switches is thrown into the main line in clear position, it hits the operating arm and thus restores the safety attachment into its full and retaining position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The structure is such that it fits between the ties and does not offer any projections susceptible of easy breakage or dislocation. It is exceedingly simple, easy to put in position, and prepare, and otherwise aptly fitted for the purposes intended.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty suflicient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor change in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

We claim:

1. In a structural assemblage of the class described, in combination, a track structure embodying spaced parallel complemental cross-ties, standard rails mounted for operation atop said cross-ties, switch points also mounted on said cross-ties and arranged for coaction'with predetermined portions of said rails, a conventional type switch stand, a lever mounted jor operaition on said switch stand, a switch point retaining and releasing arm, means fastened mat least one of said cross-ties and supporting said a rm, said arm being disposed in parallelism alongside a coacting cross-tie and hingedly, mounted on said means and operating within'the confines ofthe'space existing between adja'cent 'surfaces of said cross-ties, the outer end of said :arinfbeing provided with a notch situated adjacent'outer ends of the cross-ties, an end portionfoi said leyer being seatedin said notch and adapted to engage and depress the outer "end of the arm when said lever is in one of its eX'tremepOsition's, a point latching 'clip on the inner end of said'arrn,

said clip being of U'-shaped form and partially embracing one of said rails and theadj'ac'ent switch point when the outer notched end'of said arm is depressed by saidlever, and a coiledspring mounted in saidclip and interposed between the.

iclip and said one rail for normallyfiur ging. the

clip in a direction away from the 'rail and switch point.

2. An attachment of the class described comallel to a standard cross-tie and 'provided'at its outer end with means to accommodate and coact directly with the shank portion of the (usual fweighted lever employed in connection with a.

conventional type railway switchsta'n'd' at a time mediateportion of 'said arm to a supporting cro'sstie, a U-clip secured rigidly on the inner end of said arm, said clipi being adaptedto'partially embrace a standard track rail and switch point prising an elongated rectilinearly straight arm adapted to be placedina h'orizontal'position parcoactable with said rail when the outer end of said arm is depressed by said lever, and means to urge said clip away from embracement of said rail when said lever is disengaged from said arm.

3. An attachment of the class described comprising an elongated rectilinearly straight arm adapted to be placed in a horizontal position parallel to a standard cross-tie and provided at itsj out er"e nd with means'to accommodate and coact directly with the shank portion of the usual weighted lever employed in connection with a conventional railway switch stand at a time when 's'ai d' lever is ina locked-down position, bracket means for hingedly attaching the intermediate portion of said'arm to a supporting cross-tie, a o-ai'ipsec'ured rigidly on the inner end of said arm,said"clip"being"adapted to partially embrace thebase of a standard track rail and switch point c'o'a'c'table with said rail when the outer end of saidarrn, is depressedby said lever, and means urge the clip' 'awayirom embracement of said rail'when" 'sai d levefis disengaged from said arm, said means "comprising 'a'o'iled' spring mounted "within the confines" of said; U-clip, said spring being "off a' normally 'exlpandible type and being adapted to 'conta ctia tr'ajck rail and serving to normally urg saidclipfwhen the outerend of is aid arm 'is f r eeof pre'ssure fromsaidlever, to jaf position whi'ch servesto disengage said clip f from said rail switch pclint.

.Thm r e l r s ifie i c i 3, i k tfmE n be n e la ed h n er. d said "hanger beingadapted to be mounted'in an operative position, betweensaidcross-ties.

BUBERTUS ,W. RUTLEDGE. FRED P. HIGGINBOTHALI.

M REFERENCES crisis-n The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

"UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. Name Date -T7 4O, 223 Braden Sept. 29, 1903 ,I 178,2 2 Neafie Dec. 27, 1904 783,163 Long May 9, 1905 12,102 .'Ir0up Feb. 6, 1906 998,525 Kaltschmidt .July,l8, 1911 1,087,046 fNell Feb. 10, 1914 1,285,151 .[Harvey Nov. 19, 1918 1,569,694 Zipperer Jan. 12, 1926 

